Aviation observers focus on Wichita at Aero Club summit

That was the first question posed to a group of aerospace writers and publication editors gathered in the Air Capital Wednesday for the Wichita Aero Club’s annual On-Air Summit.

Fortunately for Wichitans, the consensus seems to be that Detroit has a different set of problems that aren’t parallel to Wichita’s.

But when it comes to the respective life-blood industries of the two cities, the fact that the question was even being asked was telling, said one of the panel participants, Bill Garvey, editor-in-chief of business and commercial aviation for Aviation Week.

He posed that same question in an article three years ago.

“I think it’s very telling that we’re still asking that question,” he said.

And with the departure of the Boeing Co. from Wichita and Hawker Beechcraft Corp.’s bankruptcy all taking place since then, things in Wichita have actually gotten worse, he said.

While Garvey felt slow recovery in the general aviation market meant continued problems for Wichita, Trimble said there were reasons for hope.

One of the biggest, he said, was the Boeing Co.’s decision to build the 737 MAX off the existing airframe — which kept that fuselage work at Spirit AeroSystems Inc.

“Any cluster could trade on just that for a long time,” Trimble said.

But there continues to be concern for the general aviation market.

McClellan, of EAA, said this latest downturn has proved to be a mystery to those who have been around the industry for a while because recovery hasn’t followed the same path it has in the past.

The problem for Wichita is that demand hasn’t yet returned for aircraft at the lower end of the price scale.

Potts, of Professional Pilot, speculated that might be because companies that generally bought those products have bumped up to higher-priced products, leaving a gap in the market that hasn’t been filled yet.

That was just one of several topics the panel discussed during the Aero Club’s luncheon on Tuesday.

Others concerned the evolution of electronically controlled flight, which — although they disagreed on how long it will take to reach a broad civilian market — the panelists agreed is a technology that will grow in importance.

Panelists touched on the issue of pilot shortages, which they agreed were being driving by economic factors in the commercial aviation business. But perhaps more troubling has been the culture change that seems to have affected the number of personal pilots.

The reasons for that, McClellan said, are elusive. But it’s clear there is less interest in flying among younger generations — something the industry will have to find ways of addressing.

They were also asked what they felt about the fortunes of Hawker Beechcraft Corp. as it emerges from bankruptcy as just Beechcraft Corp.

Again, there were differing opinions.

Potts believed the move by the company to abandon its jet production will help make it a more viable company going forward since it can focus more on products like the King Air turboprop aircraft that have long dominated their market.

Haines, however, said he was skeptical of the company’s ability to introduce the new products it has said it will, something that could cause further pains.

But McClellan said he too believed the move was good and that he was bullish on the company’s future.

In the end, the varied opinions of the panelists were symbolic of their view on Wichita’s future in relation to aviation.

There are some good things out there and some bad. The question is which will outweigh the other.